House passes my paint stewardship & honeybee bills
I am proud to tell you that the House cleared both my House Bill 1571 to create a paint recycling stewardship program and HB 1654, which would protect our honeybee population. These bills, passed on strong bipartisan votes, provide common sense protection for our environment and I look forward to advocating for them in Senate hearings in the coming weeks.
Restoring our middle class
Our state’s economy is improving, but the benefits have not been accessible to all. Middle class and lower income families are still struggling. This is unacceptable. Last week, the House of Representatives passed two important pieces of legislation that will help make our state economy’s work for everyone, not just the wealthy few.
The first bill was HB 1355, which raises the minimum wage to $12 per hour over four years. This will help hard-working Washingtonians be able to afford the basics they need and generates business for stores in our communities. The strain on government programs will also be reduced as people become less reliant on them for necessities, saving taxpayer money.
The benefits of raising the minimum wage can be seen in Minnesota, where their state government raised the minimum wage. How has their economy done since this raise? Lower unemployment AND a budget SURPLUS of over $1 billion. Read more about it here.
The second bill was HB 1356, which requires employers with 5 or more employees to provide paid sick leave. There are many workers in Washington that do not have any financial security if they need to take time off work for their own health or to care for a family member. As a small business owner, I have seen firsthand the value of investing in an employee by giving them stability during difficult times. Check out my floor speech about my employee Heidi’s experience with paid sick leave below.
Helping our military families
The House also passed a package of bills that will help ensure our state provides quality services to our service men and women and their families. House Bills 1052, 1138, 1149 and 1706 will improve the accessibility and safety of K-12 and higher education for military families.
House Bill 1052 requires that the early course registration process is available for spouses or domestic partners of military members.
House Bill 1138 creates a Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Task Force on higher education campuses to determine what policies are needed for improving suicide prevention responses. Veterans are one of the most at risk populations for suicide and it is essential that we have adequate resources so we can provide the necessary help.
House Bill 1149 requires school districts to report data on students from military families. Tracking their academic progress will help inform decision making as we work on improving policies and programs for these students who are prone to move around.
House Bill 1706 addresses a recent change to the Department of Defense Tuition Assistance Program that stopped covering college building and activity fees. The bill will allow public institutions to waive these fees for military members that are eligible for assistance.